Crude furie degl'orridi abissi

This piece is from the Opera :
Serse

This piece is for the role/s :
Serse

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Ariodate, following what he thinks are Serse's orders, reveals to an astonished Romilda and Arsamene that they are to be married immediately with Serse's blessing. Later that day, just as Serse is about to reveal that he is the royal suitor, Ariodate arrives to thank the king, and informs him that Romilda is delighted with her new husband. Serse's anger is interrupted by the arrival of a letter, apparently from Romilda, but in reality from Amastre. Finally understanding the situation, Serse is furious. In a tremendous display of temper he calls on the Furies to inspire him and to help him turn the world into ashes.

A stunning aria for mezzo, an exciting depiction of anger and power. The demisemiquaver decending runs in the strings give a feeling of impetuous energy, and the extended semiquaver runs in the vocal line rise and fall in peals of anger and frustration. In the middle section the long semiquaver run twists in unexpected ways with the pattern changing at least three times within three bars. The tessitura shifts throughout the aria, with low-lying phrases being followed by figures that sit in the upper ranges, including sustained high Gs. A musical and dramatic tour-de-force.

� 2005 Jeremy Fisher
Internet rights 2005 OperaTalent